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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Iron Jaw was a great villain who kept coming back to plague Chuck Chandler, Crimebuster, Loover of the FBI, and even some crooks who got in his way. He was a take-no-prisoners kinda villain.

This comes from Boy Comics #13, December 1943. It's drawn by Norman Maurer, a staple of Charles Biro's comic book bullpen for several years. Maurer partnered up with Joe Kubert in the early 1950s. At St. John Publishing they unleashed 3-D comic books on the world.

Aside from the grisly splash panel Iron Jaw doesn't show up until late. The first part of the story is taken up by two low level criminals and their fence, Wart.

Try as I might I can't think of any other comic book of this era that had a villain yell "Damn you!" It's on page 15.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Number 531

Clint Clobber's hectic day

DeWitt Clinton Clobber was a creation of animation director Gene Deitch for Terrytoons. Here's a 1957 model sheet Deitch did of the character. Deitch, who relocated to Prague, Czechoslovakia in the late '50s, is considered a legend among animators.

"Clint Clobber's Day," drawn by Jim Tyer, is from Mighty Mouse Fun Club Magazine #5, 1958. It's funny, almost like a storyboard for an animated cartoon.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Number 529

"...lately he's been overheard in Mayfair..."

You all know the song, don't you? "Werewolves of London" by the late Warren Zevon. "He's the hairy handed gent who ran amuck in Kent, lately he's been overheard in Mayfair.You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out Jim. Huh! I'd like to meet his tailor. Aaaaahooooo, werewolves of London, aaaaahoooooooo..."

My friend Nix sent me these scans from the first Bentley of Scotland Yard in Pep Comics #1, January 1940. "Monster of Mayfair" is drawn by M. Gutwirth.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Number 528

Mars God of War

From Planet Comics #69, Winter 1952-53, a reprint of Mars God of War from Planet Comics #20, 1942.

Dick Warren flies to planetoid Zog, where he meets some tribesmen led by Wad (!), who hold a captive "white girl," Ada. Wad has his body inhabited by Mars, God of War, becomes hostile, and goes after Dick. Dick and Ada embark on an adventure where they encounter a queen and some "queer little men."

The artwork is by Joe Doolin. I wish it had been printed better. Doolin packed every panel. He was a terrific illustrator, and he could not have been paid enough for the work he lavished on this 10-page story.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Number 527

Mail Rider to the Stars!

I get a kick out of this short story from Mystery in Space #42, Feb.-Mar. 1958. It fits my observation that most science fiction I grew up with was an extrapolation on what was then current. If we got daily mail delivery to our homes, then by golly in the far future they'd have mailmen who'd go to other planets. Maybe they couldn't get interplanetary Internet.

I also love the hallucinations in this story. Giant gorillas with antennas coming in the window of the craft, yow. If I saw that I'd wonder if I got slipped some bad acid.

According to the GCD, which in turn depended on MIS editor Julius Schwartz' editorial records, the story was written by John Broome, the artwork by Sid Greene and John Giunta.